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Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez is among 11 players who have been handed bans by CONMEBOL following violent incidents after Colombia’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay in the 2024 Copa América semi-finals.
The altercation occurred in the stands where players’ families were seated, leading to severe penalties for several Uruguayan players.
Núñez, who was seen climbing into the stands as chaos erupted, has received the harshest punishment with a five-game ban. This ruling means he will miss Uruguay’s matches against Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia before being eligible to return for the high-stakes clash against Brazil in November. In addition to the suspension, Núñez has been fined $20,000.
His international teammate, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, has also been hit with a four-game ban and a $16,000 fine. Bentancur will be available for selection for Uruguay’s final group game against Colombia.
The Uruguayan Football Association (FA) has been fined a total of $120,000 as a result of the incidents. Three more Uruguayan players—Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Ronald Araújo (Barcelona), and José María Giménez (Atlético Madrid)—have each received three-match bans.
Other Uruguayan players, including Santiago Mele, Matías Viña, Sebastián Cáceres, Emiliano Martínez, Facundo Pellistri, and Brian Rodríguez, were each fined $5,000 but avoided suspensions.
The situation in the stands was described as chaotic, with Giménez calling it a “total disaster.” He expressed concern for the safety of the players’ families, saying, “Colombian fans in a certain section descended on all our families. Our families were in danger. We had to rush into the stands to remove our loved ones with tiny newborn babies. It’s a total disaster. There wasn’t a single police officer. They showed up half an hour later.”
Uruguay’s coach, Marcelo Bielsa, defended his players’ actions, stating that they reacted naturally to protect their loved ones. “The only thing I can say is that the players reacted as any human being would have done. If they are attacking his wife, his mother, a baby, his wife, his sister… What do you do?” Bielsa questioned the lack of police presence and the media’s focus on the players’ response rather than the underlying cause of the incident.
